I am a diabetic 2 and have been trying for 2 months now. although I have lost some weight, I get depressed when I don't see movement from my tummy. is this normal, or could I have a problem with what I am eating. I know when I was dieting couple of years ago it came down, but not so good now. I am excersing on my ski slider machine and also doing strength training with a band and sit ups but as I said I get depressed when I see no results and want to give up. I am limited to certain form of excersice because I have arthritic knees, and bad shoulder, althougth I put up with it do at least do some form of exsercise . can you help and explain what can be happening. I am 61 years old.i am not sure what is best for me as far as food goes. I have been told I have a high gluten level. I am not eating bread/pasta/potato unless its sweet potato. I do miss pasta at times. all I can say is im trying my best in all angles. I have been through so many different diets, and still none the wiser.

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Expert Answers (1)

2013-10-25 13:36:32.0

Dear Soxiecan610,

A number of things may be keeping you from your weight loss goals. It sounds like you are doing as much as exercise as you can, which is important for your health as well as weight loss. As we all age, we lose some of our muscle mass, especially if we're not regularly active. Keep doing as much as you can and add in some more resistance work (with bands, handheld weights, or household items like water bottles) as that type does more for retaining and gaining muscle. You want to have as much muscle as possible because that's where you store the carbohydrates that you eat, and having more muscle gives you a bigger storage tank, so to speak.

It's not possible to spot reduce, so when you do lose weight, it comes from all over your body and not just your tummy area. Fat that is stored deep inside your abdomen is lost best with physical activity rather than just dieting, though, so you are on the right track.

One other issue may be the types of medications that you are now taking. A number of diabetes medications in particular cause weight gain, as do some antidepressants and other commonly prescribed drugs. You may want to talk with your doctor or health care provider about whether any of the medications you use may be making it harder for you to lose weight this time around.

Finally, how much you are eating and not just what can affect weight loss. If when you cut most of the carbs and pasta out of your diet you replaced them with high calories foods with a lot of fat in them, you may be taking in more calories than you realize. Read food labels and pay close attention to your portion sizes to help you limit your calorie intake, and don't be stingy with eating lots of non-starchy veggies and some fruit.

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